Did the Resurrection Really Happen? E-Book

Timothy Paul Jones

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: TGC Hard Questions
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 74

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A Concise Look at the Evidence for Christ's Resurrection  The entire Christian faith depends on the belief that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. If there was no empty tomb, Christians have an empty faith. But how can we be confident the resurrection really happened?  In this concise booklet, author Timothy Paul Jones addresses the doubts and questions that arise from Jesus's resurrection as recorded in the New Testament. Jones argues this story is not a mere repetition of old pagan tales or a fabrication to fulfill Jewish expectations. Instead, it was a historical event, and that is supported by compelling evidence, including accounts of men and women who were willing to die for what they believed they had seen.  Skeptics are correct to assume that such claims should not be taken lightly. But what happens if Jesus really did rise from the dead? What would it mean for me and you?  - Written for Skeptics: A respectful appeal to those who doubt Jesus's story that provides convincing evidence for his resurrection - Short, Accessible Format: A concise exploration of the resurrection of Jesus and why it matters for believers today - Part of the TGC Hard Questions Series: Equips readers with answers to difficult questions facing today's church 

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“The Christian faith is more than a philosophy of life. It is rooted in concrete historical events. Timothy Paul Jones demonstrates that Jesus’s resurrection isn’t a myth but is grounded in history. Here is a powerful reminder that Jesus is truly risen, and this changes everything about our lives today.”

Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Well written, fast-paced, and filled with popular stories and illustrations, this book takes up the challenging question of whether Jesus’s resurrection is a historical event. Follow Timothy Paul Jones as he treks through nagging doubts and uncertainty, one reasonable step at a time. If you are learning why the resurrection is true, this is the sort of book you want to read.”

Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor, Liberty University School of Divinity

“Timothy Paul Jones utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to provide a lucid, accessible, concise, and compelling case for the historical fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. This book will serve as a conversation starter to help churches point people to Jesus Christ as the exalted and risen Lord!”

Jarvis J. Williams, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“With up-to-date scholarship and engaging prose, Timothy Paul Jones provides a compact text we can share with our university and seminary students to show them how to defend the resurrection in a winsome way. Highly recommended.”

Mark Allen, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Liberty University

“Jones blends the heart of a pastor with the precision of a scholar to tackle one of the most vital questions of our faith. He offers a relatable and compelling perspective, bringing to the church and skeptics alike a clear and convincing case for the resurrection.”

Jamaal Williams, Pastor, Sojourn Midtown, Louisville, Kentucky

“Christianity rises or falls on a single historical claim: the resurrection of Jesus. This short, powerful book makes the case for the pivotal moment in human history. If you’re curious about the unparalleled nature of Jesus, start your journey here.”

J. Warner Wallace,Dateline-featured cold-case detective; Senior Fellow, the Colson Center for Christian Worldview

“The Christian faith is rooted in the historical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jones has written an accessible case for the resurrection of Jesus that is easy to read while carrying the weight of rigorous scholarship. This resource will prove valuable to both the skeptic and the believer wrestling with doubt.”

Dayton Hartman, Lead Pastor, Redeemer Church, Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

TGC Hard Questions

Jared Kennedy, Series Editor

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?, Timothy Paul Jones

Does God Care about Gender Identity?, Samuel D. Ferguson

Is Christianity Good for the World?, Sharon James

What Does Depression Mean for My Faith?, Kathryn Butler, MD

Where Is God in a World with So Much Evil?, Collin Hansen

Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church?, Jeremy Linneman

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

Timothy Paul Jones

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

© 2025 by Timothy Paul Jones

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

This book is published in association with Nappaland Literary Agency, an independent firm dedicated to publishing works that are: Authentic. Relevant. Eternal. Visit us on the web at: http://www.NappalandLiterary.com.

Cover design: Ben Stafford

Cover images: Unsplash

First printing 2025

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-9855-5 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9857-9 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9856-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Jones, Timothy P. (Timothy Paul), author.

Title: Did the resurrection really happen? / Timothy Paul Jones.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2025. | Series: TGC hard questions | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2024017391 (print) | LCCN 2024017392 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433598555 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433598562 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433598579 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Resurrection—Biblical teaching. | Jesus Christ—Resurrection.

Classification: LCC BS2655.R35 J66 2025 (print) | LCC BS2655.R35 (ebook) | DDC 236/.8—dc23/eng/20240917

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024017391

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024017392

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2025-01-29 9:12:10 AM

Contents

  Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

  Notes

  Recommended Resources

  Scripture Index

A Jewish noble stares up the slope that terminates at the walls of Jerusalem. An arrow’s shot from the walls, rugged knolls and hillocks flatten into a plain where twisted tree trunks are jammed into the earth. These trees are barren, with wooden beams affixed to them at a myriad of angles.

Dangling from the crossbeams are the flayed bodies of human beings.

The soldiers wandering among the crosses have vowed before the gods that they will enforce the will of Caesar no matter the cost. The men twisted in agony on the beams have been accused of insurrection against Caesar’s will. As night falls and bodies fail, packs of wild dogs will arrive on the plain and plant their forelegs against the crosses, teeth bared and straining to rip away mangled muscles and exposed organs. Once the collapsing lungs of the crucified have squelched their last guttural breaths, vultures will descend on the carcasses, gorging themselves on congealing strips of skin.1 Such is the fate of those sentenced to die on crosses.

The year is AD 70. The Roman legions are crushing a rebellion that began four years earlier. Faced with the imminent fall of their city, thousands of Jews have attempted escape, only to be captured and tortured on these barren trees. Today, as many as five hundred Jews will be nailed to the timbers outside the city. Hundreds will face the same fate tomorrow, and again the next day, and again and again until there are no trees left for miles around Jerusalem.

The name of the Jewish noble surveying the scene outside the city is Josephus. He is a Pharisee trying to convince his fellow Jews to give up their insurrection. Years later, Josephus will describe the abuse inflicted by the Romans on the captives: “Soldiers, out of the rage and spite they held . . . nailed them to the crosses in a variety of positions to ridicule them. Their number was so great that there . . . were not enough crosses for the bodies.”2

This was far from the first or last time Roman soldiers crucified mass numbers of suspected insurrectionists. Over the span of centuries, the Romans repeated this practice with tens of thousands of rebels and slaves, spiking them to wooden beams in grotesque positions and leaving them to die. Suspended naked before the world, the cadavers of the crucified screamed a silent warning, declaring the inevitable demise of anyone who dared to defy the power of Rome. For dissidents and enslaved persons in particular, crucifixion loomed as a constant threat. Of the many thousands of victims who lived and died on the margins of the Roman social order, only the minutest fraction of names were recorded. Fewer still can be recalled today.

And yet, two thousand years after his death, the name of one crucified man is cherished around the globe.

This man was lynched on the outskirts of Jerusalem around AD 30, a generation before the city’s destruction in AD 70. From the perspective of the rulers in Rome, his execution was insignificant and routine. Following a bit of unrest in the streets during a volatile Jewish festival, three suspects were stapled to crosses on a hill outside the city. The warning worked, at least from the Roman perspective. After this reminder not to provoke Rome’s power, the Passover proceeded peaceably, with no riots or revolts reported.

But a revolution happened nonetheless.

According to a tiny band of faithful Jews, the cross did not mark the end for one of those three men. The message of his miraculous return to life would eventually engulf the very empire that had sentenced him to die. Today, this singular crucified man is not merely remembered. He is revered by billions as divine.

What Is So Different about Jesus?